THE THOMPSON COLLECTORS ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

THOMPSON
COLLECTORS
ASSOCIATION
THE THOMPSON
COLLECTORS ASSOCIATION
THE
#G53970
17th YEAR
“On the Side of Law and Order!”
NEWSLETTER
Website: THOMPSONCOLLECTORS.com
SUMMER 2007
VOLUME 7
© copyrighted 2007
TOM WOODS
FAREWELL GOOD FRIEND!
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Annual Membership: $30.00
Mail to:
Thompson Collectors Association
P.O. Box 1675
E-mail: [email protected]
Ellicott City, MD 21041-1675
FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK
By Bill Troy
I am humbled by the opportunity to serve you as President of the TCA. I am deeply grateful to the
2004 – 2007 TCA Board of Directors for the excellent way the have steered the club these last few years.
We are on a firm financial footing and membership is steady. Due to their leadership and hard work,
we’ve held two highly successful Show & Shoots and several of our members have “Flown the TCA Flag”
at regional shows to rave reviews. Carol has told me that she is pleased to turn over the reins of leadership to
someone else, and very surprised that she is turning it over to me.
The other Officers and Directors of the Thompson Collectors Association for the 2007 – 2009 term are: Vice
President - Glenn Whittenberger; Treasurer - Pat Wheeler; Secretary - Bill Menosky; the Directors are: Don Hall,
Frank Horak, Chuck Klein, George Rich and Phil Schreier. I thank each of them for their hard work and willingness
to serve the membership.
I extend a big thank you to Beth and Glen Whittenberger for hosting the 2007 TCA Show & Shoot. Their
gracious hospitality was wonderful. We were able to shoot on their range both days and have plenty of time to look at
the displays and talk Thompsons. The Dillinger Thompson was a highlight of the weekend. Everyone enjoyed
shooting the gun. Another big thank you goes to Gordon Herigstad and Sheriff David Lain for bringing the gun to us.
The club has many plans for the next two years. We are exploring moving the 2008 Show & Shoot date to
late September or early October. The location is still undecided. Please let me know your opinion of this idea. Other
items we are working on are: sponsoring TCA displays at regional shows and setting up regional shoots. We are also
working on a new web site. Pat Wheeler has done a great job these last few years on the club’s web site on Comcast
but the 20MB size limit has prevented us from doing too much. We have a new web site under construction,
www.thetca.net. It is very much a work in progress right now, and I ask for your patience as we move the content to
the new site and set up the links and functionality. Also if you have suggestions or ideas, please let me know –
Thanks!
Another project started by the 2004 – 2007 Board was a revision of the current by-laws. The first draft will be
in circulation to the Board, and we’ll post the final draft on the club’s web site for members’ comments and
suggestions. Also a summary of the changes will be discussed in an upcoming newsletter.
I have some sad news to report. Our past president and good friend Tom Woods passed away on July 13th.
Several of us had the opportunity to see him just before he died. We extended our deepest sympathy to his wife, Reva
and the entire Woods family.
If you have any comments or ideas please call me at 703-385-1578 (evenings) or email me at
[email protected]. Thank you, once again, for the opportunity to serve you over the next two years. I look forward to
hearing from you. (Ed. Note: Bill isn’t a cross dresser, but he needs a new logo above.)
Bill
______________________________________________________________________________________________
This quarter was one of great highs and lows. We lost Tom Woods our past president,
major contributor, a reassuring presence, and a great friend to all of us. Tom died on Thursday,
the day before the show and shoot. Even on the Monday before the show and shoot, Tom was
planning on being there on Friday to say hello to all of us. When we got the news early Thursday
Tom was failing, Bill and Carol Troy, Bill Menosky, and Dana and I decided we should drive up
to Indianapolis to say goodbye to Tom. I spoke to Tom’s wife, Reva, to make sure we wouldn’t be a burden. Reva
said, “Friends are always welcome here.” That’s the Woods family in a nutshell! When we arrived, the morphine
had done it’s job, Tom was pain free but unconscious. I hope we left Reva feeling a little better, and I know we felt
better seeing Tom that one last time. Sutton Coffman called a couple of hours later to say Tom had slipped away
peacefully. Reva chose the cover picture. For me, it represents the Tom we know as well as her Tom.
Bill Troy and I lost a co-worker a week after the show and shoot. She was the greatest fighter I have ever
seen. She endured ten years chemo, radiation, congestive heart failure, and more.
One the plus side, Glen and Beth put on a great show and shoot. I had some qualms about safety, but they
disappeared the minute we arrived. Glen knew what he was doing! I’m sure most of you have read the raves on
Frank’s board. Of course we all owe a debt gratitude to Sheriff David Lain for bringing the Dillinger TSMG. As it
turned out, David was as big a hit as the Dillinger gun. Special thanks to Gordon Herigstad for making the Dillinger
gun visit happen. Thanks again, Gordon!
Late breaking news: the 2008 dates for the Western Show and Shoot are April 19th & 20th. It looks like Don
has found a replacement.
Congratulations and thanks to Carol for leading the TCA through its worst and the most demanding years.
Congratulations to Bill upon his election to the presidency of the TCA, and to Glen as the new vice president. Lastly,
congratulations to the two new board members: George Rich and Don Hall.
Pat Wheeler
My Husband and Your Friend
Walter "Tom" Woods passed away on July 12, 2007 from terminal pancreatic cancer. He was diagnosed
in late October of 2006 and fought a hard battle to win, but unfortunately the cancer started growing rapidly
in May 2007 and he was put on hospice on July 10.
He became very interested in guns early on and the Thompson submachine gun became his “first
love”. He purchased his first machine gun in the early 80's and through much research was able to obtain its
original history.
Tom passed his love for guns, especially the machine gun, on to his son Aaron when he was quite young. He
was a lifetime member of the NRA. Aaron always told his dad he would like to have the machine gun someday and
he now is the recipient of it (Ed. Note: We thank Tracie Hill for orchestrating and expediting the transfer to Aaron).
Tom had attended many gun shows over the years and was a proud member and a past president of the
Thompson Collectors Association. He was also a member of The American Thompson Association. He was
pleased to have met Ted Eickhoff in St. Louis last year and was hoping to attend this year's gun show.
In 2005 he started a company he called "Artic Seven" and sold Ciener .22 cal. conversion kits for many guns
including the Thompson. His dream after retirement was to travel around the country, attend gun shows, and sell
conversion kits; unfortunately he was only able to live his dream less than a year before cancer came into his life
and he spent several months selling most of his inventory.
Tom's biggest joy was to pass on his knowledge and the history of all guns, especially the Thompson submachine gun. He was very pleased to have made so many “good friendships” with the Thompson Collectors
Association.
Reva Woods
Our home address is W.T. Woods, 39 Meadow Lane, Whiteland, IN 46184
(Ed. Note: When we visited Tom on his last day, Reva mentioned we never met her because she did not like guns due
to an accident that injured a family member.)
TOM WOODS
I met Tom at the First All-Thompson Show & Shoot held in Ohio in August 1992. Initial impressions always
tell a lot about a person and after my first conversations with Tom, I immediately thought that he was a nice guy. He
had a broad and detailed knowledge about Thompsons and he liked to talk about them, as well as, about a lot of other
topics. Tom was a person who was always ready to help anyone who needed information or had a problem or issue
with their Thompson.
He regularly added, as we all did, interesting items to his table display each year. One year, I remember
giving him an old Lucky Strike “green” advertising sheet to go with his Lucky Strike “green” pack of Luckies that he
brought to enhance his military themed display. Though I saw him at most only twice a year, it seemed that Tom
liked to tinker with things. His Thompson gun stand was certainly an example of this. It was a simple principal but
one of the best that anyone has yet designed.
A decade and a half have rolled by since that first TCA show. During that time, other personal traits of Tom
have stood out. He was a very reliable, consistent and trustworthy man and he served us well as the second President
of the Thompson Collectors Association.
It’s never easy for me to write words after a friend has gone. A group of TCA folks, Carol and Bill Troy, Pat
and Dana Wheeler and I visited Tom at his home a few hours before he left us. We’ll long remember the strength and
compassion of his wife Reva, the support of his family and close friends that were there and the calmness of the
setting. How fitting that the TCA had its 16th Annual All-Thompson Show & Shoot in Indiana on this particular
weekend. I’ll end by saying that Tom will truly be missed by the entire Thompson community and that I am proud to
have been a colleague and a friend of his. He was a Thompson guy. He was always a nice guy.
Bill Menosky, Secretary
Found on eBay
WHAT ELSE ARE YOU COLLECTING?
By Bill Menosky
Now let’s see. First of all, there’s the iron: all different flavors of Thompson guns from the
Model of 1921 to MGC cap-shooting replicas. Then there are the accessories: drums, magazines, cases,
slings, ammo, pouches, gauges, tools, etc. And finally, there are paper items: manuals, books,
pamphlets, periodicals, photos, documents, blueprints, military posters and movie posters.
Hey, movie posters. No one has talked about these items in a while. We all have at least one or
two or six or a hundred. For Thompson collectors the movie poster categories are usually “gangster
movie” or “war movie”. They depict all manner of movieland created Thompson submachine guns.
Some are fire-spewing “death machines” while others just look cool posed in the hands of a noted
scoundrel, hero or heroine.
Most collectors probably have a Warren Oates, “Dillinger”, a Mickey Rooney, “Baby Face
Nelson” or a Charles Bronson, “Machine Gun Kelly” one sheet tacked up in the basement or gun room
somewhere. They might even have one of the newer Tom Hanks works, “Road to Perdition” or “Saving
Private Ryan”. C’mon folks, you have to have a little color and spice mixed in with those drab drums
that you look at and load and unload every day. Here are a few gangster-themed posters that are not
seen as often but they are relatively easy to acquire. Prices are usually linked to available inventory,
condition and size.
“Big Bad Mama”
“Capone”
(Japanese)
“Borsalino & Co.”
“The Purple Gang”
“A Bullet for Pretty Boy”
“The Bonnie
Parker Story”
The 2007 TCA Show and Shoot
By Pat Wheeler
As you all know now, on the eve of our show and shoot, our past president and good friend, Tom Woods,
passed away. Certainly not the way any of us would have wanted the show and shoot to start; however, I have to
believe Tom was looking over us because the show and shoot turned out to be a great success.
Of course, the great hit of the show and shoot was the Colt Thompson S/N 7387, more commonly known as
the Dillinger Thompson. We certainly thank Sheriff David Lain of Porter County Indiana for not only bringing this
great piece of American History, but more importantly for his support of entire show and shoot. His talk about the
history of the gun kept us in complete silence, as we didn’t want to miss a single word. Amazingly, he let each of us
shoot this most valuable gun, but that wasn’t enough for Dave. He patiently signed each of our targets, not just with
his name, but a full description of what each of us had done. THANK YOU SHERIFF DAVE!!!
Looking at that infamous 70+ year old picture of Dillinger holding the
fake pistol he used to make his escape and the Porter County Thompson he
stole during the escape, I still find it hard to believe that is the gun we all
fired. After years and years of looking at thousands upon thousands of copies
of that picture, I would have never believed I would one day fire that gun!
Sheriff David Lain
the gun stealing John Dillinger
The Show
Now for the show! Glen and Beth’s new house on their farm could not have been a better place for a show
and shoot—THANKS TO THE BOTH OF YOU! Their basement easily held all of the displays. Dave Albert was
able to squeeze in a day and brought his outstanding display of Thompson related print media. The Troys brought
their display of all three generations of Thompsons plus a myriad of Thompson related items from eBay and
elsewhere. Bill Menosky unfortunately had to downsize this year due to Linda’s business commitments and, hence,
absence. Regardless, he still had a great display about the history of the Auto-Ordnance Bridgeport factory and the
surrounding area. Tino and Lana Morales had their display about the Thompson in Cuba and the Thompson in WW
II. Tino also managed to display (or rub in ☺) how much he paid for his Thompsons. Mike Hensley and Jack
Meador had a joint display of all their Thompsons, accessories, and books.
Show Pictures
The Troy’s Display
Bill Menosky’s “downsized” display
Tino and Lana Morales’ display
Mike Hensley and Jack Meador’s table
Dave Albert’s collection of Thompson print media
and Dave with the Dillinger TSMG
The Shoot
The shoot portion was the most fun filled event we have ever held, at least east of the Mississippi. Shooting
the Dillinger gun was optional, but what more can I add about the thrill of shooting a piece of history.
We’ve modified the standard TCA Course of Fire to be closer to the Western Show and Shoot. The time on
the 50 yard stage was increased to a full minute to lessen its effect on overall scores as we considered the 50 yard
stage a warm-up and tension breaker. Rather than shoot twice at 25 yards, we eliminated one of those stages. We are
almost in step with the Western Show and Shoot. The rest of the stages are unchanged. Tom James won the event
with a perfect score of 80, followed by Eric Wank (the teenager! Hey, where did you finish dad?), George Rich, and
myself. Carol Troy took the women’s title. The Eliot Ness Bodyguard Test was a brand new event. In addition to
your TSMG, you were given a Winchester ’97 shotgun and a 1911 pistol. You had two rounds in the 1911 for two
targets and two rounds for the ’97 for two hanging steel plates. Then with your Thompson and 20 rounds, you had to
mow down four steel plates. Your raw score plus penalties for misses is divided by your time to determine the
winner. The winner was Ron Montgomery. The Spray and Pray is very simple yet very difficult. You get one trigger
pull and twenty rounds. If you pull the trigger more than once you are disqualified. The target is an 8 ½ by eleven
piece of paper (with an X-ring for breaking ties) set at eighteen yards. All I could do was watch my front sight circle
the target clockwise scoring a meager five hits. Randy Sneed took the event with 15 hits (steroid testing pending ☺).
Thanks to Randy for recalling the winners of the two events—it seems the score sheets got lost, again. Thanks to
Glen for dreaming up these two exciting events. The last event was the old steel plate competition with microscopic
targets that were eclipsed by my front sight. And the winner is…Mike Hensley!
Now for the “if you were the editor, you could get away with this”. George Rich and I attended both show
and shoots this year, so we are the only two in the running for the TCA National Title. Now you know why I listed
the first four finishers. As it turns out, I took advantage of George’s shoulder injury out in Arizona and beat him
there. Unfortunately, his shoulder got better for Indiana and he beat me by a point or two; however, I’m still ahead of
him overall. Therefore, I crown myself the TCA National Champion (I’ve got to win something sometime*) and
George finishes last (all right, second place). ☺
* George has already won two Eastern show and shoots
My thanks and congratulations to all who attended—I only hope you enjoyed it half as much as I did. See you
all next year.
The Shoot Pictures
The 50 yard line
My wife, Dana, making sure George didn’t get too
far ahead of me
The Eliot Ness Bodyguard Qualification course
Eric Wank firing the Dillinger gun
Mike what are you feeding him that makes him
shoot so well?
Here is a great series of shots showing Randy Sneed on the Eliot Ness Bodyguard Qualification range
I just loved show these frames caught the guns in action
Here’s Ron Montgomery, the winner,
on the homestretch
Randy Sneed receiving his Spray and Pray Trophy
Carol receives the Women’s Trophy
Maybe next year CJ
Here’s something Dillinger may have
never seen—the inside of the “his” gun
Thanks to Glen Whittenberger for cleaning
and replacing some key parts
Mike Hensley takes the Steel Plate Trophy
Tom James takes the trophy for a perfect score
Sheriff Lain documenting each person’s target.
Sheriff Lain at the beginning of his spellbinding lecture on the “Dillinger Thompson”
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Letters to the Editor
(Ed. Note: In lieu of Sutton’s usual column this month, I’ve elected to run his “thought provoker”. I
encourage all of you to participate in this discussion. There are good and bad points with each perspective.)
I’d like to pose a question to the Thompson collecting fraternity.
At two recent Thompson show and shoots (one hosted by The American Thompson Association and the other
by the Thompson Collectors Association), historically significant Thompsons were brought in for displays and
surprisingly (at least to me) were shot. I realize those gun’s owners were being mighty generous, but at a show and
shoot, was it necessary to risk damaging an irreplaceable piece of history?
I confess I wasn’t present at either event—shame on me—‘cuz I would love to have had a “trophy” photo of
me holding a St. Valentine’s Day gun or a documented Dillinger gun, and I suppose that given the opportunity to do
it, that I would have shot them too. I’m not faulting anyone for availing themselves of the opportunity, but if
something had gone wrong, while that piece of history was in your hands, how would you of felt? Yes, we could
probably repair it with “replacement” parts, but what about bulging the barrel with a squib load—how do you undo
that?
Given you are at a Thompson gathering, was it necessary to risk damaging a historical Thompson by firing it?
Feedback and thoughts on this are welcome.
B. Sutton Coffman
(Ed. Note: During the show and shoot, the Dillinger Thompson did, in fact, have a squib load. Originally it was
thought to be a simple jam with a “hot” round in the chamber, and it took a significant amount of force to dislodge it.
Fortunately, the barrel was checked, and it was realized it was a squib load that left a bullet wedged in the barrel,
which, also, required some significant force to remove. The gun was put back in operation after several
knowledgeable people inspected it. Sutton is right that this could well have turned into a disaster had conditions been
slightly different. Note: The TCA did supply the Dillinger gun with a new Blish, actuator, main spring and spring
guide to be used when firing the gun. The parts were from a Model of 1928. Now, will it be the Dillinger gun when
someone fires it? The one unsurprising fact was it fired just like any other 1921A/C, so Sutton has an excellent point.
Comments please.)
______________________________________________________________________________________________
About Doug Richardson
Doug Richardson is a design and manufacturing engineer who has specialized in Thompson SMGs for the last
61 years. He has written many books about Thompson guns and manufactures a broad range of Thompson products.
If you wish to have a question answered, submit the question to him by e-mail ([email protected]) or by
regular mail (2100 McReynolds Rd., Malibu CA 90265). Please keep the question short, to the point and address
only one subject at a time. This column is not intended to be a forum. Questions and answers that are deemed to
have general interest will be published.
Doug is also posting Q&As on his website (ThompsonSMG.com). If there is anything on his website that you
would like to put into the news, go ahead but please give Doug credit for the item.
Questions & Answers
QUESTION :
diameter?
What is the correct thread size for all the threaded Thompson parts which appear to be about 1/4" in
ANSWER: #14-24. #14 is .242" diameter. The Thompson uses the same size thread for everything except the
compensator, barrel, buttplate door, buttstock reinforcement, 1927 & 1928 (Colt) sling swivels and adjustable rear
sight. This is a thread size that is seldom used today. 1/4" (.250") has become the standard but back in 1920 that was
not the case. This does not create any particular problem except when someone assumes the thread is 1/4" and so
ruins a part by retapping it oversize. Of course, finding taps and dies in #14 size is difficult.
QUESTION :
What is involved in making a semi-auto with my TSMG parts kit?
ANSWER: Unfortunately, to the best of my knowledge, as of this date (Jan. 2007) there is no ATF approved way of
making a semi-auto gun from a TSMG parts kit as is done with a number of other machine gun parts kits. The
assumption being that the semi-auto gun will have the outside dimensions of the original, look exactly like the
original and use most of the original parts including magazines. Numrich Arms designed a semi-auto gun years ago
that more or less resembles a Thompson. That gun is now manufactured by Kahr Arms. Neither of these companies
has any connection to Col. Thompson’s Auto-Ordnance Corp. that invented, developed and manufactured the
Thompson Submachine Gun. The N/K gun is not a true Thompson and not made to the original drawings. Therefore,
very few Thompson parts fit it. Without an approved design to modify the TSMG to fire semi-automatically, the only
option is to make an N/K gun out of a Thompson. Unless one is willing to spend a lot of money and register the gun
as a short-barreled rifle, it is not a cost effective project. (My book, “Thompson New Production Semi-Autos”
describes this process.) One is better off just buying the N/K gun. If a detachable buttstock is desired, the most cost
effective way of achieving that is to fit one of my kits to the trigger housing. If it is desired to have a receiver that is
as true to the original as possible, then one of my MS or 2S receivers can be used. But in the end, it still ends up as an
N/K gun design, not a Thompson. I have a design for a proper semi-auto Thompson but no time to pursue it. I know
others are working on their versions. Maybe something will come of it.
QUESTION : I have noticed that M1 and M1A1 TSMGs often show noticeable wear on the bottom edge of the feed
lip on the bolt face. Is that normal?
ANSWER: Yes, it is normal and will be more pronounced on M1/M1A1s than 1928s. The reason is that the drum
magazines, which cannot be used on M1/M1A1 guns, position the cartridge directly in the path of the bolt. Therefore,
the bolt pushes the cartridge more or less straight into the camber with very little sliding of the cartridge case across
the bolt face and hence, little wear. The box magazine is a double column, alternate feed type. Therefore, the
cartridges are positioned either on the right side of center or the left side of center. That is why the feed ramp on a
Thompson receiver is shaped like a funnel. If only drums were used, the feed ramp could be just a simple straight
inclined groove. So, when a box magazine is used, the bolt has to both center and push the cartridge upward which
creates a lot of cartridge case sliding across the bolt face. Since only the bottom portion of the feed lip is involved
with chambering cartridges, that is where the wear is concentrated.
QUESTION :
How does one know if a Thompson barrel is worn out?
ANSWER: When the lands and grooves are no longer distinct, the barrel is worn out. Another indication is that
shooting accuracy has fallen off. However, very few Thompson guns will reach the point where the barrel is worn out
if military specification barrels are fitted. Unfortunately, most new-made barrels are not made to military
specifications, so wear may be more of a problem in the future. A much more likely problem will be bore damage.
WW2 guns will often show the affects of corrosive ammunition. This is indicated when the bore appears to be worn
(actually eroded) at the breech end rather than over its full length. What is a more worrisome possibility is a ringed or
bulged bore caused by defective ammunition. Being a machine gun, a bullet that does not make it out the end of the
barrel is immediately follow by more bullets that jam in the barrel, destroying it. At the prices Thompsons are selling
for, damaging a barrel becomes a catastrophic loss. Therefore, if a nice condition, all original gun is to be shot, I
recommend replacing the barrel assembly so that there is no chance of damaging the original one.
QUESTION : In which direction do the Thompson rear sight rivets install on the gun?
ANSWER: The rivets should be started from inside the receiver and riveted over on the top surface of the sight. It is
important that only genuine Thompson specification rivets be used because they are not standard rivets and length is
critical. Care must be taken to assure that the sight is tight against the receiver before the rivets are set so that the
compressing rivet does not flow out between the sight and receiver and thus create a gap.
QUESTION :
What is the difference between a 1921 bolt and a 1928 bolt or is there any?
ANSWER: Yes, there is a difference. All 1921 bolts are nickel plated. But so are some 1928 bolts. 1928 WW2
bolts are marked with the manufacturers symbol whereas Colt bolts (1921) are unmarked. The real difference is in
the way the inside “U”-shaped edge on the back end of the bolts are radiused. 1921 bolts have a circular countersunk
depression that bevels the centers of the three sides of the “U”. That pattern matches the round collar on the metal
portion of the 1921 Buffer. 1928 bolts have the entire edge of the “U” radiussed just to eliminate sharp edges which
has no relationship to the larger and flat collar of the 1928 pilot.
QUESTION :
What is the best way to fit a sling to a Thompson with a vertical foregrip?
ANSWER: All Model of 1921 and all Model of 1928 (Savage) guns were made with vertical foregrips. Colt guns
had no provision for a sling at all whereas the Savage guns did have a sling swivel on the buttstock. During WW2,
the British Commonwealth Countries added a sling swivel to the side of the foregrip in order to fit a sling but this was
never a factory fitment. In 1922, Auto-Ordnance introduced the Model of 1922 which had a Springfield style swivel
retrofitted to a standard 1921 buttstock. A horizontal forearm was introduced with the 1922 which incorporated the
second swivel. The swivel equipped buttstocks must have inspired A-O to come up with a way to fit a second swivel
on standard 1921 guns so a sling could be used. In 1922, A-O offered 1921 guns fitted with slings as an option. They
offered a barrel band which fitted around the barrel just ahead of the foregrip. Unfortunately, this option must not
have been popular because no example (or even a photo) of a factory fitted sling on a 1921 gun is known to exist
today. In my catalog, I offer an entire sling system for all Thompson guns that includes sling barrel bands and special
sling pilots. How close I came to the 1922 barrel band design is only a guess.
Republican Party Fundraiser in New Hampshire
From granitegrok.com Blog
You know the routine when it comes to the typical Republican party fundraisers. Buy a ticket for some thirty
bucks or so. Go to a picnic or a dinner of some sort, oftentimes with food of questionable taste and safety. All the
while you're hanging out with the party stalwarts, often perceived as the "elite", who generally through their words,
attitudes, and actions, hold ordinary people in contempt. "We know what's best for the people," they say. ("And we'll
do it behind closed doors.") On top of that, you get to listen to a string of politicians give speeches telling us what
they will do for us. Oh, it's not always THAT bad, but in general, you get my drift.
Sunday's fundraiser held by NH's Manchester Republican Committee was none of that. This innovative
group, led by Chairman Jerry Thibodeau hosted a "machine gun shoot" in conjunction with the Pelham Fish and
Game Club and Manchester Firing Line Range, LLC. which I attended with my 16 year old son and a friend. I can
freely state that while I appreciate the efforts by the MRC, I probably wouldn't have attended any of their fundraisers
were they the usual fare. MAYBE, if the right prez candidate was to show, but more likely not. But for this, I eagerly
awaited the day to arrive.
We were not disappointed. (Well, except that we couldn't take pictures or video--more on that below) The
event was very well controlled, with safety and proper techniques the first and absolute order of the day. The
clubhouse featured a nice array of vendors and assorted firearms and other related items for sale (yes, including
REAL [gasp!] machine guns). The sound of machine gun fire filling the air certainly created a rush and added to
overall "fun" atmosphere. The people manning the range, helping with the firearms, and conducting the shoot couldn't
have been any more friendly, fun, and helpful. And boy, did we have a blast with the guns! My kid and his friend
went for the Uzis, and I went for the M5 SWAT- type piece. Standing on the range side by side with Tommy guns,
Uzis, M16s, etc. all blazing away with brass bouncing all around is a thrill that can only be best understood when
actually being right there.
Following this, we went over to another range where those bringing personal arms were able to shoot. Again,
the guys here were great fun and very helpful, providing safety and usage pointers to us as we fired our own guns. At
the end of the day, two of the fellows there with their own machine guns offered the boys a chance to shoot a Mac-10
and a Thompson similar to the picture above. What a thrill, for sure.
The only disappointment was that photography or filming of any kind was absolutely off-limits. After much
conversation and begging, I was unable to convince anyone otherwise. Why would this be, given that the Internet is
filled with photos from similar events? We can thank the news media for this, according to those I talked to. Seems
the complaining and negative light cast by them (the bozos at the Union Leader included) regarding the event left
everyone skittish over any kind of publicity, lest it cast the wrong light on the day. While I can understand why the
sponsors did what they did, I say PHOOEY to those in the media and double PHOOEY to all those spineless
Republicans who complained about the event, thus feeding more fuel to the fire created by its detractors.
There was one happy byproduct of the negative publicity that I would be remiss if I didn't mention it:
There were no politicians in sight. Only happy, ordinary Republican folks enjoying a good day
celebrating the 2nd Amendment with friends and family. I'll take that over a room filled with
pompous politicians any day--Democrat OR Republican!
CLASSIFIED ADS
THOMPSON COLLECTORS
ASSOCIATION
P. O. BOX 1675
ELLICOTT CITY, MD 21041-1675
e-mail us at [email protected]
ANY AD $6.00 PER ISSUE
MISMATCHED DRUMS – Do you own a Colt “C” or “L” drum with mismatched covers? I am providing a service
to TCA members. The “Drum Registry” has dozens of Colt mismatches listed with their last known address. I can
help you locate the matching lid or base for your Colt drum. The cost is two (2) 1ST class postage stamps per drum.
Don Hall, 3584 Bibo Rd., Golden Valley, AZ 86413.
FOR SALE: The book Colt Thompson Serial Numbers. The book includes sections on the listing of all 15000
serial numbers of the Colt TSMG, an index/history section, Marine Corps and Navy section and a drum section. A
must for all Thompson Collectors. THOMPSONACCESSORIES.COM. Gordon Herigstad. 1632 West 10th St., San
Pedro, CA 90732. (310) 831-9339. [email protected].
DRUM REPAIR TSMG DRUM DR. CALL Merle F. Bitikofer. 224 N. W. Woods Ln., Dallas, OR 97338. (503)
623-8294. e-mail [email protected].
54 PAGE THOMPSON CATALOG $5. Display guns, semi-finished receivers, parts, tools, books, drawings,
accessories. ThompsonSMG.com. Doug Richardson, 2100 McReynolds, Malibu, CA 90265. 310-457-6400.
[email protected].
FOR SALE: 2007 TCA Show & Shoot T-Shirts (Small to XXLarge) available now. Delivered to your door for
$15.00. Send your check for $15.00 to TCA, PO Box 1675, Ellicott City, MD 21041-1675. Sorry, checks not
accepted via e-mail. ☺
FOR SALE:
1. Five years of the TCA Newsletter (60 issues from Jan. ’97 to Dec. ’01, #s 75 thru 134) $150.00.
2. First edition American Thunder by Frank Iannamico, $25.00.
3. Signed copy of Thompson: An American Legend, $80.00.
4. U.S.-issue “L” Drum pouch (R.M. Co., 1942, “U.S.” markings) Pristine condition with shoulder strap,
$175.00.
5. First Wave Beach Clearer’s 3 cell 30 round magazine pouch (Beach Clearer’s canvas was dyed black to help
hide from sentries while clearing the beach of obstacles for troop landing craft). Typical “USMC” “R.M. Co.”
markings faintly visible under original dye job. Some fading in the dye on the front where it rubbed against
things; where it didn’t rub the dye is perfect. Slight saltwater corrosion on one snap. This pouch was acquired
along with the owner’s dress uniform, who was an Amphibious Combat Engineer who had been awarded the
Amphibious Assault Ribbon a total of three times (only issued to those “lucky few” in the first wave). The
uniform is not available for purchase. I know of only two other pouches in 16 years of collecting Thompson
military gear—this is the least common U.S.G.I. pouch you’ll ever encounter, $250.00 or best offer.
6. Five cell pouch for 20 round stick magazines. A late contract pouch without maker’s marks. The canvas and
the “lift-the-dot” snaps are in great shape. At some point, magazines were kept in it, $90.
7. FM 23-40, Basic field manual for the M1928A1 Thompson, dated Dec 31, 1941. This superseded the Aug 19,
1940 edition of the same. Covers manual of arms, care and cleaning, marksmanship training, parts,
accessories, and more. In nice shape, $60.
B. Sutton Coffman, PO Box 1237, Newark, OH 43058. (740) 501-3995. Price considerations given to multipurchases, etc. Please add $10.00 for shipping and insurance.
PO BOX 1675
Ellicott City, MD 21041-1675
TCA